Aspen Goes High-Tech for Mountain Webcams

Four 360-degree view Roundshot cameras installed

Colorado's Aspen ski area will install its fourth Roundshot camera next week, becoming the first location in the U.S. to implement these high-definition cameras. Roundshot cameras aim to replace the universal low-quality webcams with 66 megapixels of panoramic beauty, which can all be seen with an Internet connection, reports The Denver Post.

The Roundshot cameras capture a high resolution, 360-degree image every ten minutes. All of this data is then immediately transferred to the web where viewers can zoom in and track weather movement, search through archived images, and also create time-lapses of the day's weather, according to The Denver Post. "We wanted something that if you hired a professional photographer to sit atop the mountain, it had to be that good," said Paul Major, the director of Aspen Skiing's information technology.

While this technology will likely become more popular around the country, Roundshot cameras aren't cheap. Aspen Skiing spent close to 20,000 dollars for each device. Major, Aspen's IT guy, first saw these cameras on vacation in Switzerland and set up his own company to acquire and install them in the states, reports The Denver Post. The units are also difficult to setup, Aspen Skiing had to find areas with a stunning 360 view in addition to having an internet and power source.

There are nearly 50 live Roundshot cameras operating around Europe, all of which can be viewed through the website's livecam. Go ahead and say goodbye to productivity at work.